Are Electronic Initiation Systems the Unique Answer to Solve Blasting Issues?

The use of electronic initiation systems goes further than a pure technology decision. Additionally, to a well-developed and reliable system, it is necessary to count with tools to calculate suitable timing and an economic criterium to take final decision of implementation. Real examples of application help to understand the analysis.

Auditing Underground Development Drilling and Blasting

Outline of a process for auditing drilling and blasting procedures for underground development; room and pillar; stoping; or tunneling.

Benchmarking Drill and Blast Compliance to Design, A Case Study

Case study presenting the roll out across the open pit operations, detailing the incremental benefits seen from an integrated and standardised approach. Operational benchmarking results are presented with improvements demonstrated in safety reporting statistics, blast result output stability, reduction of variation in design execution compliance and cost saving opportunities.

Blast Design Optimization Through Variable Stemming

This paper presents an optimization study of an open stope blast design, named 255-12825, from Vazantes' Mine, located in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Based on the method of variable stemming, the powder factor and explosive consumption were reduced by improving the quality of the muckpile fragments.

Blast Modeling for Facility Security Management

Security engineering in similar to other engineering - the design is guided by the loads, materials and desired function. For facility design, the load is the threat. Blast modeling is an engineering tool that can reverse-engineer facility limits and be a tool for modifying security design for new conditions.

Blast Pattern Expansion: A Heuristic Approach

Rock blasting is one of the first processes in the stage of rock fragmentation and plays a fundamental role in the following stages. The authors developed a simulated annealing heuristic-based model to try to find the optimum blast KPIs (stemming, subdrilling, burden and spacin) that minimize the costs of blasting.

Blast Spillover Control

Changing blasting practices to reduce blast spillover to allow for the successful mining of Rio Tinto's Bingham Canyon Mine's South Wall Push Back.

Borehole Deviation Control Using Electronics: An Euler's Approach

The consequences of rock blasting with explosives are directly related to the accuracy of drilling. The main idea behind this paper is to validate the power of the Euler method, together with an accelerometer and a microcontroller, in order to reproduce of the hole shape.

Burden Profiling: Do You Measure What You Think You Do?

This study shows the difference between laser profiling, drone and using a burden pole. It demonstrates the difference between how each of the above systems also demonstrates how they produce different results.  Burden pole and laser give you only 2D burden, but the drone gives you a 3D minimal burden.